Touchwiz still optional?

**craigwann** · 09-09-2011, 10:01 PM

I'm quite sure this has been asked before, if I bought a Galaxy Tab today, would it come with stock Android or Touchwiz? I don't really want Touchwiz, and am really just buying the Sammy tablet because I think it's the best Android option out right now.

If it does come with TW, is.it difficult to get it back to stock?

**Mastertech** · 09-10-2011, 12:03 AM

I bought one Monday and it didn't have Touchiz on it.

**craigwann** · 09-10-2011, 12:44 PM

Strange that yours was stock. I went to Best Buy and the demo unit had touchwiz. I'm a little confused...

**craigwann** · 09-10-2011, 12:46 PM

And of course, the best buy employee had no idea what Touchwiz even was, so he couldn't tell me if they come stock out of the box or not.

**silverthornne** · 09-10-2011, 02:06 PM

The Tab I bought a week ago didn't have Touchwiz. Of course, I don't know about it being 'optional' since it isn't labeled as such on the update screen, which makes me think that it's mandatory for any future Honeycomb updates...

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**chazm** · 09-10-2011, 04:43 PM

I bought mine after the update and it didn't have it. I have it now and I don't see what's wrong with it

**craigwann** · 09-11-2011, 12:06 AM

Originally Posted by chazm

I bought mine after the update and it didn't have it. I have it now and I don't see what's wrong with it

I don't think anything is "wrong" with it. It's really just preference I think. Im a web designer and sort of OCD about aesthetics. Touchwiz just looks really busy and unappealing to me. Honeycomb seems to run the risk of being a little cluttered/busy anyway, and TW just makes it worse.

I think I might wait for ICS or maybe see if HTC comes out with a decent wifi honeycomb/sense tablet.

I really don't expect everyone share my distaste for the sammy UI. My wife has an Epic and can't understand why I hate the look/feel of it's UI. I just do, and that's all I can say about that.

**Jay Evans** · 09-11-2011, 07:17 AM

Originally Posted by craigwann

Touchwiz just looks really busy and unappealing to me. Honeycomb seems to run the risk of being a little cluttered/busy anyway, and TW just makes it worse.

I've read people saying this but can't understand why. There is nothing (Widgets/icons) on my screens that I haven't put there myself. If you don't like any of the Widgets from TW don't use them.

Other than the changes to the lower bar (screenshot and quick apps) it looks just like 3.1 to me. The small fixes to 3.1 problems with TW outweigh any problems I have with those.

What's busy about TouchWiz on the GT?

**Mastertech** · 09-11-2011, 08:23 AM

Originally Posted by craigwann

Strange that yours was stock. I went to Best Buy and the demo unit had touchwiz. I'm a little confused...

The demo unit at the best buy I went to had it as well, and then when I got mine home and turned it on I was surprised mine didn't have the update.

**Jay Evans** · 09-11-2011, 09:51 AM

Originally Posted by Mastertech

The demo unit at the best buy I went to had it as well, and then when I got mine home and turned it on I was surprised mine didn't have the update.

Since the units are not locked some helpful customer may have "updated" the demo unit

**chazm** · 09-11-2011, 10:45 AM

Originally Posted by Jay Evans

I've read people saying this but can't understand why. There is nothing (Widgets/icons) on my screens that I haven't put there myself. If you don't like any of the Widgets from TW don't use them.

Other than the changes to the lower bar (screenshot and quick apps) it looks just like 3.1 to me. The small fixes to 3.1 problems with TW outweigh any problems I have with those.

What's busy about TouchWiz on the GT?

Exactly. The only extra items on the default screen is the screen shot button and a little arrow at the bottom.

**craigwann** · 09-11-2011, 01:02 PM

Yeah, I understand what you guys are saying, but I just don't see it that way. I don't need the applets they just add bloat to the operating system. Plus, even if I don't use the Sammy Widgets, they are still there in the widget select screen looking ugly.

I'm just a purest I guess. I do love the sense Widgets, so I might wait on a better HTC option.

**Jay Evans** · 09-11-2011, 03:45 PM

Originally Posted by craigwann

Yeah, I understand what you guys are saying, but I just don't see it that way. I don't need the applets they just add bloat to the operating system. Plus, even if I don't use the Sammy Widgets, they are still there in the widget select screen looking ugly.

I'm just a purest I guess. I do love the sense Widgets, so I might wait on a better HTC option.

So TW is bloat and Sense isn't??????

**craigwann** · 09-11-2011, 03:56 PM

Originally Posted by Jay Evans

So TW is bloat and Sense isn't??????

The difference is that in my point of view, Sense adds to the user experience in a way that I find beneficial and aesthetically pleasing. Touchwiz does not.

If I don't want a feature, to me, it's bloat. If I do, bring it on. If you use all of the touchwiz features, or are happy ignoring them, more power to you.

I'm surprised this is so much of an argument. I'm just saying that in MY opinion, everything Sammy adds to honeycomb makes it worse. That is just my opinion. Others are entitled to theirs. I don't have to like the same things you like, and you don't have to like the same things I like. That's what draws me to Android. If I don't like one flavor of the green robot, I can just pick another manufacture/device. That's part of the fun, is it not?

**paintdrinkingpete** · 09-12-2011, 10:34 AM

Originally Posted by craigwann

The difference is that in my point of view, Sense adds to the user experience in a way that I find beneficial and aesthetically pleasing. Touchwiz does not.

If I don't want a feature, to me, it's bloat. If I do, bring it on. If you use all of the touchwiz features, or are happy ignoring them, more power to you.

I'm surprised this is so much of an argument. I'm just saying that in MY opinion, everything Sammy adds to honeycomb makes it worse. That is just my opinion. Others are entitled to theirs. I don't have to like the same things you like, and you don't have to like the same things I like. That's what draws me to Android. If I don't like one flavor of the green robot, I can just pick another manufacture/device. That's part of the fun, is it not?

For the most part, I agree with you. I was very hesitant to install the TW update, but after reading positive reviews I decided to give it a go. I too prefer Sense aesthetically to TW, FWIW, but I will say that overall I found the update to be an improvement over the stock OS that was originally loaded on it. Do I wish that they offered an OS update to fix bugs without the TW features? Yes. Am I sorry I installed it on my tab? No. I think Samsung actually did a pretty good job and used a bit of restraint when putting the update together by not completely bastardizing the entire OS just to add their UI components. It is still for the most part the same GB experience I was enjoying before, with a few added features, and it is running more stable than before. I really don't care for the TW UI stuff, or really use any of the widgets for that matter, but they aren't really getting in my way either.

Again, I TOTALLY understand your point...which is why I wanted to give you my 2 cents on how I felt about the TW on this device...definitely not trying to argue or sway your position.

**Jay Evans** · 09-12-2011, 12:08 PM

For those who think TW adds bloat, check out Sense on the new Jetstream.

Go to 7:50 in and check out the Widget bloat. So many of each one! Looks like they are not HC resizable, just brought over from Phone Sense. Add any Widgets of your own and you'll be scrolling for days to find what you want.

**noni** · 09-12-2011, 01:34 PM

from what I've read, only the WiFi versions are capable of dl'ing the TW update. BestBuy only had that version a few weeks ago when I bought mine so I went to Verizon and bought the 4G version, which does not have the TW update, nor is it available even if you wanted it.

**BSG75** · 09-12-2011, 01:42 PM

Originally Posted by craigwann

The difference is that in my point of view, Sense adds to the user experience in a way that I find beneficial and aesthetically pleasing. Touchwiz does not.

If I don't want a feature, to me, it's bloat. If I do, bring it on. If you use all of the touchwiz features, or are happy ignoring them, more power to you.

I'm surprised this is so much of an argument. I'm just saying that in MY opinion, everything Sammy adds to honeycomb makes it worse. That is just my opinion. Others are entitled to theirs. I don't have to like the same things you like, and you don't have to like the same things I like. That's what draws me to Android. If I don't like one flavor of the green robot, I can just pick another manufacture/device. That's part of the fun, is it not?

I like what TW added, but to each their own. If you don't like it, you don't like it. Simple as that. I guess it's a bit of a crap shoot if you buy one at the store, from what everyone here is saying. I think you could just buy it, root it and load the stock rom. XDA has a stock rom, but I'm still not sure what the GT "v" version is. You will likely still get bugged about an update being available, though. You can shut it up for a while, but it always came back eventually from my experience.